BUFF 2018: ‘It Began Without Warning’ – Short Film Review

It’s time for the 2018 Boston Underground Film Festival! PopHorror has been given the opportunity to view the latest submissions made by talented up-and-coming filmmakers. I decided to watch a short film called It Began Without Warning simply based on the title. With a title like that, I expected a short film that would take me by surprise, and that’s exactly what I got.

It Began Without Warning is a six minute short film directed by Jessica Curtright and Santiago C. Tapia. Jessica and Santiago both have two other short films under their belts, Territorial (2013) and Pookie (2016). (Synopsis provided by IMDb.com): It Began Without Warning centers around a group of kids influenced by another power to commit horrible crimes.

To start off, I’m really impressed with the cinematography in this short. Along with co-directing and co-writing, Santiago also took the responsibility of cinematography, and he and did a fantastic job! I love films that are able to tell a story with little to no dialogue. It’s all visual, and it’s not too hard to follow along. We start off so confused by what’s going on, and we’re given twist after twist throughout. It’s a fantastic way of storytelling! This short seemed like a mix of an ABCs of Death segment and Takashi Miike’s Imprint. It was very entertaining and very intriguing. 

With films that offer little to no dialogue, it’s important for the actors to really sell their performance in order to get the audience hooked. This was another factor that It Began Without Warning succeeded in. The special effects were also very well created. They definitely didn’t skimp out on the blood, and that’s always a plus for me!

Final thoughts:
I have absolutely no complaints on this short film. It Began Without Warning is so odd and intriguing, I loved it! Be sure to follow us for more reviews for the Boston Underground Film Festival!

About Karli Lawson

I basically grew up watching horror films and spooky things. I watched my first horror film when I was 4 years old. I've wanted to be a writer ever since I've read Stephen King books in middle school. I love writing and talking about my favorite genre. I hope to one day be successful in screenwriting and filmmaking. Everything horror, of course!

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